A key player will miss France’s remaining Nations Championship matches this month with a calf injury.
Winger Damian Penaud was replaced at half-time of Saturday’s campaign-opening loss to the All Blacks as he made his first Test appearance since November.
The 29-year-old will be sidelined for games against the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday and Japan in Tokyo on 18 July.
Penaud scored his 41st Test try after just two minutes in Christchurch having been dropped from Les Bleus’ successful Six Nations campaign earlier this year.
“He felt a tightness in his calf,” coach Fabien Galthié told reporters after the loss to the All Blacks. “He didn’t want to risk a tear.”
He was replaced by flyhalf Antoine Hastoy as Galthié re-shuffled his backline.
France did not announce a replacement for Penaud in the squad, with rugby newspaper Midi Olympique claiming on Monday starting flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert could move to fullback with Toulouse’s Romain Ntamack taking over the No 10 shirt.
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Fullback Max Spring is a major doubt to face the Wallabies with Olympic sevens champions Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang and Theo Forner as well as Toulon’s Mathis Ferte the other back-three options.
Galthié is already without a host of first-choice players including scrumhalf Antoine Dupont and Penaud’s club teammate winger in Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
Dupont has been ruled out of the campaign through injury while speedster Bielle-Biarrey is being rested.
– AFP
Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
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A key player will miss France’s remaining Nations Championship matches this month with a calf injury.
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